Vandals scrawl sectarian graffiti on city centre factory

Police have launched a probe after 'We Hate Catholics' was daubed across the building.

Sectarian: Graffiti spotted in Glasgow.
STV

Police are hunting vandals after anti-Catholic graffiti was scrawled across a factory wall in Glasgow.

Slurs including 'We Hate Catholics' and 'FTP' have been spray painted on to the wall in clear view of a motorway just outside the city centre.

The offensive words were spotted on the wall at Scotland Street near to West Street train station on Tuesday.

Graffiti: Police are investigating offensive terms.
STV

Words including 'UB!', believed to stand for Rangers' fan group The Union Bears, and 'RFC' have also been spray painted on the wall beside the offensive terms.

The Celtic Store on Argyle Street was targeted by vandals on the same day.

On Tuesday, the words 'Go Hame', a possible reference to the banned Famine Song, was seen scrawled across the front window of the shop.

'Go Hame': Reference to banned Famine Song on Celtic club shop.
STV

The Famine Song, a song about the Irish famine of the 1800s which includes the line "the famine is over why don't you go home", was banned in 2008 and deemed to be racist in 2009 after three Scottish judges ruled that it targets people of Irish origin.

Scotland's leading sectarian charity Nil by Mouth are hoping to tackle the issue of sectarian and abusive graffiti by commissioning a series of murals across the city with a "strong anti-sectarian message".

The charity's Campaign Director Dave Scott said: "These are the latest in the long line of incidents of sectarian graffiti with pathetic abuse towards Catholics and Protestants being daubed on walls and shopfronts in prominent parts of the city.

"We don't want people, especially tourists, to think that this mindless, moronic minority speak for the rest of us.

"We'd love to tackle this problem by commissioning a series of murals celebrating the city's diversity and promoting a strong anti-sectarian message. We hope that the City Council can get behind this initiative and help us find suitable sites across Glasgow to give talented artists and schools projects to showcase that we really are a city for everyone."

A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed that officers are aware of the graffiti which is being dealt with by the relevant department.

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